Whispering Voices
by keeper of the legend
Summary: The Hardy boys are missing. Can Nancy find them in time? Sequel to Blind Terror. FrankNancy, GeorgeNick, Joe?, Bess?. Read and find out, and review.
1. Disturbing News

This is the sequel to Blind Terror. It may help to read that story first. As usual, all disclaimers apply.

Whispering Voices

1. Disturbing News

George Fayne sat at the window and stared out over the neighborhood. The late afternoon sun cast a soft glow on the backyard. But George really didn't see anything; her mind was thousands of miles away. Somehow the window seemed like the best place in the house to think of him.

It had been three weeks since she had returned from the private island with Nancy and the Hardy brothers. Nancy had been in hiding and somehow George had been set up during the course of events. Now they were finally able to relax. And relax they had. In fact George spent most of her time thinking about Nick.

Nancy Drew, unable to contain herself, giggled out loud. She was sitting on her bed looking at her best friend. Nancy had given up talking to George ten minutes ago. Now she couldn't help but laugh at the expression on George's face.

"What are you laughing at?" George whirled around at Nancy's laugh.

"You." Nancy answered. "Oh, I miss him. He is so wonderful. Ahh. What a great guy."

George watched Nancy make a few lovesick faces before attacking her with a pillow. The two girls wrestled around for a moment before collapsing on the bed in a fit of laughter. It took several seconds before either could talk again.

"Did I really look that bad?" George gasped between giggles.

Nancy burst out laughing again. "Worse." she managed.

"I do miss him though. Besides, if it hadn't been for Frank, you would have liked to date Nick yourself."

"No way. I saw him in his little white apron and feather duster." Nancy posed like a French maid. "Sweet, but not exactly dashing."

"You like him, admit it. You just like Frank more."

"Fine, I admit it. But you two make a cuter couple."

"I just wonder why he hasn't called for two weeks. I mean, that is a long time, isn't it? Maybe it was something I said, I just don't know." George sighed.

"Maybe he has been working on a case or something. He'll call. Don't worry."

Just as Nancy finished speaking her telephone rang. Nancy reached over to her night stand and picked up the receiver. She half expected to hear George's cousin, Bess Marvin, on the other end. However, when she answered she heard Frank Hardy's voice instead.

George sat back as Nancy talked happily with Frank. It had taken years for the two of them to admit their feelings to each other. In fact, Frank had nearly died before either one spoke up. But now that they had admitted their feelings they were almost inseparable, except when they each had a case to work on.

Suddenly Nancy frowned. "Frank? Frank, what happened! Frank can you hear me?" Nancy cried franticly. She waited for the answer that she knew wasn't coming. The line had been disconnected. Slamming the receiver down in frustration, Nancy let out a yell of complete dismay.

"What happened? You were talking so happily, then total switch."

"Frank was supposed to be coming back from a case he and Joe had just finished. They were getting ready to board the plane when he let out a yell and the line went dead." Nancy explained as she paced the floor, twirling her reddish blonde hair.

"Do you know where they were?"

"No, Frank didn't say. He just said that they would be home in a few hours. I did hear Joe jabbering about some case in the background."

"What kind of case?" George persisted.

"I don't know. I heard him say that there were some serious thieves wherever they were."

"Call their father. He must know where those two are."

Nancy settled down on her bed and called the Hardy home. She talked a few moments to Fenton Hardy, Frank and Joe's father. When she hung up she had a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Well…" George finally asked, unable to contain her question any longer.

"He says that Frank and Joe are in the southwest. Somewhere secluded. He didn't know where because he was out of town."

"Well if I know you, you're going to go after them."

"Right. I plan to leave right now." Nancy agreed.

George helped Nancy pack a small hiking pack to take on the trip. Unsure of what she might be facing Nancy decided to pack light. She didn't want to be hindered by extra luggage that would be useless.

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" George asked for the fifth time during the packing process.

"I have to. Nobody knows what happened. There's no way of knowing what I will have to do." George was about to protest when the telephone rang again. Nancy went over to the stand and answered it.

"It's for you George. Nicoletta."

George gave Nancy a puzzled look as she took the phone from her friend. George wondered why Nicoletta would call her. Nicoletta Dumont was Nicholas Dumont's cousin. Nancy had worked for Nicoletta to recover an expensive diamond necklace. After Nancy had found the necklace and captured the crooks responsible, Charles Walker, the man behind the theft, swore revenge. Nick had been called to protect Nancy from Walker.

George listened for a few moments before hanging up the phone. She turned to Nancy with a serious look in her eyes. "I'm going with you. And don't try to stop me."

"What did Nicoletta say?" Nancy questioned.

"Nick has gone missing too. She got the same kind of phone call you did. Everything was fine, then a scream, then nothing. He was in the southwest, just like Frank and Joe."

"Did he say where he was?"

"Arizona. He told Nicoletta that he had seen Frank and Joe there too. But he didn't say what city."

"That narrows our search down. Let's get packed." Nancy turned back to her task.

Some time later Nancy and George were finally ready to leave. Each had a single pack with basic survival goods ready to go. Both girls were anxious to begin their journey. The sooner they left, the quicker they would find Frank, Joe, and Nick.

George was standing on the porch waiting for Nancy to lock the front door when she heard the phone begin to ring. Frowning, she looked to Nancy.

"We have to answer. It won't take long." Nancy responded to her friend's gaze. Dropping her pack on the porch Nancy raced inside. George leaned against the railing and began to whistle, trying to remain patient.

"George, come quick!"

At the tone in Nancy's voice George dropped her pack and went back inside. Nancy was standing in the living room next to the answering machine. Her face was pale and tears were in the corners of her eyes.

"What's going on?" George gasped.

Nancy pressed a button on the answering machine and it replayed the last message. A whispering voice filled the silence, 'Nan, it's Frank. We won't be home like we planned. Nick is out here and ran into some difficulty in his case. We'll try to call again soon. We all send our love.' Suddenly a gruff voice filled the background, barking out threats. Then Frank was talking again above the yelling that had begun. 'Nan, if you must come after us, be careful. This place is _WILD_. And these people are _ANIMALS_. It's just like the _WILD WEST_. I hope this-' Nancy stopped the tape.

"We _will_ find them Nan. Come on. We have a plane to catch."


	2. Trouble

2. Trouble

The plane ride began uneventfully. Nancy and George had arrived at the airport just as the plane finished fueling. Take off was almost immediate.

George sighed as she looked out the window. The ground was steadily sinking below the clouds. The tiny puddle jumper plane leveled out and George sat back, settling in for the three hour flight.

Nancy was silent beside George. In fact she hadn't spoken much since she had heard that tape before their flight. George knew that Nancy had a bad feeling about Frank's disappearance. Deep down she was as terrified for Nick, as much as Nancy was for Frank.

"I can't believe this!" Joe groaned.

"Take it easy. We will get out of here."

"How, Frank? This place has nothing. One locked door and that's it." Nick pointed out.

"I'm working on that. But the worst thing we can do is panic. We need to think through this and look at our options."

"What I want to know is why we were targeted. We solved our case. That was just a simple jewelry theft. Even if she did think her jewelry was taken by ghosts." Joe complained.

"Well, when we get out we'll ask this guy what his problem is, okay. Besides, I know Nancy is on her way. Does she ever not take a case?" Frank replied.

Joe sat down and leaned against the stone wall. The building was barely big enough for the three to sit comfortably. But somehow they made the space work. Joe sighed, hoping that they would be out soon.

The three hours passed quickly. George was as nervous as Nancy was anxious. Both were ready to start the search for their missing friends. But neither had any idea of where to begin.

"There must be something that we can go on." George moaned.

"But Frank didn't tell me anything. What would we have to go on?" Nancy objected.

George thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. "That's it. He did tell you something. In his last few comments. Some of the words were stressed, like they were more important. What did he say?"

"The place was wild, the people were animals, and it reminded him of the Wild West." Nancy answered. "Wait, that's it. He must be in an old western town, like a ghost town. But which one?"

"Let's grab our bags, then see what the nearest ghost town is. We might as well begin our search around here since we're right here already." George suggested reasonably.

"That sounds like a plan." Nancy agreed as she led the way to the luggage claim. Since she and George only brought one bag apiece they could get their bags and get out quickly.

The baggage claim was swarming with people. Several children weaved in and out of the crowd, causing their parents great distress. Nancy made her way up to wait for her and George's bags to appear.

It seemed to take forever but finally the bags came sliding onto the claim belt. Nancy quickly grabbed the ones she was waiting for and moved to where George was waiting. Handing George her bag Nancy slung her own on her shoulder and walked outside.

"We need a car. There is no way to get from town to town without one here."

"It looks like you need one just to get through town here." George commented, staring at the busy roadways beyond the airport.

Nancy was about to agree when a movement caught her eye. A young woman with deeply tanned skin and long black hair was making her way toward them. The young woman, somewhere in her mid-twenties to Nancy's guess, was dressed in work clothes.

"I think we have company." Nancy whispered to George.

"Nobody knew we were coming. Who would meet us out here?" George murmured back.

Before Nancy could even voice a guess the girl walked up. "Drew and Fayne." It was more of a statement then a question.

"Who are you?" Nancy questioned guardedly.

"Frank was right, you are a true detective. My name is Tracy Whitehorse. Come with me and I will explain everything. It isn't safe here."

"How is it not safe here?" George wondered.

"Look over your left shoulder. That man in the blue suit and dark glasses has been watching you. You are already famous here, with the wrong people."

"Well, what choice do we have? Alright, lead the way." Nancy replied.

"You two hungry? I know a small restaurant where we will be safe. And we can talk without interruption."

Nancy and George were led to a battered pickup truck. Nancy thought the vehicle looked like it belonged on a farm rather than on a road. George put the two bags in the truck bed and climbed in next to Nancy.

Tracy expertly guided her truck out of the airport lot and onto the highway. They had only gone about fifteen miles when Tracy looked in her mirror.

"Don't look now, but we're being followed."

Nancy and George glanced in the mirror. A dark suburban was about a car length behind them. The windows were very dark making the driver unidentifiable. Nancy glanced at Tracy with uncertainty. Her face was set in a grim mask.

"Take this." Tracy ordered, handing Nancy a cell phone. "Push button three. That will connect you to Chief Rodgers. Tell him the suspect is on Route 75 going north. In need of backup."

Nancy did as she was told. When she was through she hung up and glanced in the mirror again. "There is supposed to be a car up here. He is being alerted."

A mile passed in silence before Nancy saw the unmarked squad car. Tracy passed the car and waved to the man sitting behind the wheel. As soon as the suburban passed the car red and blue lights flashed on.

"Hang on." Tracy called as the suburban sped past followed by the squad car.

Nancy watched in shock as the driver of the suburban clipped the front bumper of Tracy's truck, and then took off. Tracy momentarily lost control of her vehicle as the squad car came around her.

When Tracy finally gained control of her truck she pulled to the side of the road. All three girls were shaking after their ordeal. Quietly Tracy climbed out and inspected the damage to her truck.

"That guy owes me a new bumper and headlight." she said in annoyance as she climbed back inside the cab and pulled out onto the road again. "We better get out of here. Chances are good that he will have reported his failure to his boss. He may be incompetent, but the next one might be more dangerous."

"His boss?" George questioned, startled.

"Yeah. The boss is the one who has your boyfriend, Nick, along with the Hardys. We have a good idea of where they are, but never could get the backup we needed. Frank mentioned a girlfriend. A bright, never say die girl. He said that if something ever happened to him she would be on the first plane to him. He was right."

"Are they okay?" Nancy asked in a rush.

"The last anyone saw of them they were alive. But there has been no communication for almost a day now."

"You said you had an idea of where the boys are?" George mentioned hopefully.

"In a rundown old mining town. It's abandoned now. A perfect place to hide from the law. It's extremely hard to get to, since all the roads have grown over. We'll have to go up on foot. Here's the place I was telling you about."

Tracy pulled up in front of an old diner. A handmade sign hung in the window, giving the hour of operation. The three girls walked into the building and were overcome with the smell of food.

"I know it doesn't look like much, but it has the best food around." Tracy explained. "I have been telling Granny for years that she needs to leave this place to someone else, but she just can't stand the thought."

"Trace. The usual table, baby?" a woman asked from the back.

"How'd you guess?"

"You're my best customer. Besides, I knew you before you were knee high to a coyote."

A woman with silver hair and a lined face walked out. She reminded Nancy of the pictures of the grandmother that is always baking pies or making lemonade. From the lines around her mouth Nancy figured the woman laughed a great deal of the time. And her eyes held an intelligent twinkle that the years hadn't dimmed.

"Besides, who else would show up at this time of the day? The supper rush has come and gone."

Tracy laughed and hugged the old woman affectionately. Then she allowed the woman to grab some menus and lead them to the back of the diner. The table she seated the group at was a well worn table that had seen many guests. Tracy helped place the menus and the silverware that her grandmother had grabbed.

"Is Walter working tonight?"

"Ha, that cousin of yours don't know the meaning of work. He ain't nothin' but a crazy kid. But you know I love him."

"Of course Grannyma." Tracy smiled.

"Why don't I get you girls some soda?"

Everyone agreed and the woman hurried off to fill the order. Nancy watched her leave then turned to Tracy. "I can see why we won't be disturbed here."

"Granny Rosewood has worked here for years. Always said that this was the best spot for a place to pull off and eat. There's not another diner for miles." Tracy looked toward the kitchen. "I worry though. There have been more punk kids around this area lately. They like to give the older residents trouble."

Mrs. Rosewood came bustling back carrying three drinks and a basket of breadsticks. Carefully she sat the food and drinks in front of the trio then waited patiently for the girls orders. George looked up and was about to speak when a loud explosion came from the kitchen area.

Nancy jumped up and raced toward the kitchen. She opened the door and gasped in horror. Flames danced across the old wooden floor, racing for the dining area. Nancy raced back as the others came to meet her.

"The kitchen is on fire. We have to get out now!"

The four rushed out the front door and stood back while Tracy called the fire department. Mrs. Rosewood just stared at her beloved diner as flames danced across the roof that had been part of the kitchen.


	3. Loss

Thanks to all who reviewed. And a special thank you to Lightwarai, who caught a mistake I made (which is now fixed). And I hope that this chapter is as enjoyable as the others.

3. Loss

Sirens wailed in the distance. Nancy, who had sat against a sign, looked up. She could see the dim flashing of lights speeding down the road. George walked over to her side and kneeled down. They knew that if they were lucky they would only have about an hour of questioning.

The fire seemed like a screaming reminder of the reason they were here. Three very important people were missing. Some odd things were happening and Nancy wasn't sure she wanted to be involved.

"You alright?" George questioned with concern. "You look pale."

"Three weeks ago I was running for my life. Although I wasn't on the run for very long, it was terrible. I almost lost the most important person in my life. And now this."

George sighed. "I can understand that. From what you've told me, this has to be a close repetition of that time. If I were you, I'd seriously reconsider my traveling companions."

Nancy chuckled. "Why do you think I brought you along?"

"I demanded that you bring me. Besides, you know that I would have been dragged into this somehow. I always am."

Tracy walked over to where George and Nancy were talking. Walking behind her was a tall, lean man with sandy brown hair. Nancy studied the young man. He was in his late twenties, about twenty-seven Nancy guessed. He looked like a man who spent several hours outdoors. Deep chocolate brown eyes took in everything around him.

"Nancy, George, this is Detective Mitch Michealson. He wants to take your statements." Tracy informed them.

"Ladies, if you could just tell me what happened. And please try not to make your explanations into long stories. Keep it brief." Michealson said curtly.

Nancy and George exchanged glances before taking turns explaining the night's events. Michealson listened, somewhat impatiently, to their stories then snapped his notebook shut with a click. Then he informed the girls that they needed to be available should he need to question them further.

"That guy is an absolute grouch. How he got a job like this I'll never know. He really needs to work on his people skills." George mumbled.

"You can say that again." Nancy agreed.

"I'll catch up with you two in a minute." Tracy said. "I want a word or two with Mitch. He is on my last nerve as it is."

Tracy caught up to Mitch as he was climbing into his squad car. Tracy impatiently tapped Mitch on his shoulder while tapping her foot. Mitch looked from the tapping foot to Tracy's frown of disgust and sighed. It was going to be a long night.

"Look, I don't have time for this. I have to get back to the station. I will be in touch as soon as I have something."

Tracy glared at Mitch in her best imitation of a superior officer. "Mitch Michealson, don't give me the brush off. I know that you don't like the fact that I work for the police. I may not be an officer, but out here you know as well as I do that some people just don't like you. They have to talk to someone they can trust."

Michealson opened his mouth to object. He hated the fact that Tracy was the station's link between them and the citizens. She was treated more like a combination of a detective and a public relations person.

"And don't give me that 'any of the other guys can handle the people' angle. You know that most of the citizens turn to me because I know what they are going through. You have no clue." Tracy continued before Mitch could say a word. "And furthermore I don't like the way you treated Nancy and George. They may not be country girls, but you certainly ain't a cowboy. You treat all city people like traitors, including the ones who grew up in the country. And I know that's why you hate me now. The next time we meet, you _will_ treat my friends with respect."

Mitch grimaced. Tracy had been his best friend growing up; but then she had gone to one of the big town collages. When she had come back she wasn't the simple country girl he knew. She had become strong, independent, and outspoken.

"I notice that you didn't include yourself in that respect angle." Mitch couldn't help but point out.

"I can take care of myself. You just watch your own back."

Mitch grumbled about the lousy break he had as he climbed into his car. If Rosewood's diner hadn't been in his jurisdiction he could be dealing with calls about crazy teens bothering the farmer's cows.

Joe raised his head and looked around. He noticed a small candle that either Frank or Nick must have found somewhere in the room. Next to it was an old matchbook. Frank was leaned back against one wall while Nick paced in front of another.

"Nick, what time is it?"

"Six o'clock."

"We still have some time before it's safe to do anything." Joe sighed. "So what's your story? How'd you get into spy work?"

Nick scuffed the toe of the boot he was wearing on the dirt floor before walking over to the wall supporting Joe. With a thud he sat down and leaned back. Joe sat silently, waiting for him to begin talking.

"I wasn't very old. Only twelve or so I guess. It was supposed to be a family weekend, just my parents and me. We went to the family cottage on the lake. We all loved to go there." Nick let out a little laugh. "I said that my first stop was the lake. I even wore my swim shorts on the trip up. I did make it to the lake, finally. I had just jumped into the water. I was having the time of my life. Then we got a call from Dad's office. Some important client wanted to meet with him. So we went rushing back."

Nick paused and drew in a deep breath. Joe looked at him in the dim light, realizing that this was a very difficult story for him to tell. After a moment Nick continued.

"We had to go right to the meeting. I was so mad I could have killed with a glance. But Mother promised that if I behaved we would have giant ice cream sundaes when we got home. It didn't happen. Dad went to unlock the door as Mother grabbed some of the luggage we had packed. They were ahead of me when we walked through the door. I just wanted to have the ice cream and watch some television. But when Dad turned on the lights, we saw that a burglary was in progress. The guy shot my parents. He never saw me as I ran to hide. Later I identified him to police. The guy got off because the police botched the investigation. The court ruled insufficient evidence. As I watched the guy walk away a free man, I promised to never let another crime go unpunished."

"That's rough." Frank spoke up from across the small room. "I guess that's why you are so secretive and watchful."

"Yeah, I guess so." Nick agreed.

"So what is the plan now?" George asked as Tracy walked over to them.

"We plan a way to get your friends back. Mitch isn't going to be any help so I guess it's just the three of us."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Nancy asked.

"Let me get one of the officers to give Granny a ride to the ranch then we can head out." Tracy went over to where a young officer was talking to Mrs. Rosewood. After a few moments Tracy came jogging back, waving for Nancy and George to follow her.

"What buildings are left in this town?" Nancy asked as Tracy drove down a deserted road. "How will we know where to begin looking for them?"

"That is a good question. Almost every building is standing, but that doesn't mean anything. I've been to the town a few times, mostly as a kid. One building really stands out. It's an old stone building, like a little storage building. That would be a good place to hide someone. But it may be too obvious." Tracy thought for a moment before continuing. "There is one other building, if the room has even been found. The old hotel. It was made of brick, but underneath was a hidden store room made of wood. It's really small and hard to find unless you know it's there. I found it as a kid. It was my special place, only a few other people got to go down there."

The drive seemed to take forever. The night air closed in around the small truck, making the desert seem endless. George watched as shadows played in the moonlight. Something about this place gave her chills. But she couldn't decide what it was that bothered her.

Finally Tracy stopped the truck. "We have to go the rest of the way on foot. There is a narrow trail through the rocks ahead. We are better off if we make as little noise as possible."

The three girls climbed out of the cab and carefully closed the doors. The area seemed unbearably quiet. An occasional sound made by some desert creature was the only thing that broke the silence. Nancy felt almost like an intruder to the land. If only Frank could be here to enjoy this too, Nancy thought to herself.

The footpath was steep. It wound between giant rocks and around sage and cacti. Nancy marveled at Tracy's sureness of the trail. She obviously knew the land well.

"Nan." George whispered.

Nancy looked back. George was stopped in her tracks staring out across the desert. Nancy tapped Tracy on the shoulder pointed to George. Tracy turned to look at the area George was pointing to and gasped.

Tracy grabbed George and Nancy by the wrists, pulling them into the shadows. Tracy was shaking from head to foot, but Nancy couldn't be sure if it was from fear or something else. Nancy watched from their hiding place as two men on horseback lassoed a riderless horse. The men were struggling to control the animal and several times it looked as if the captured horse might break free.

After a long struggle the riders finally managed to get the horse under control. However, Tracy could tell that the horse had calmed more because of pain and fatigue. That horse, her horse, was being stolen from her lands. And there was nothing she could do. The anger she felt threatened to overwhelm her.

"I will find you Wild One." Tracy whispered.

Suddenly the horse pricked his ears and looked in their direction as if he had heard her words. A shrill neigh filled the night air before the horse was forced to move on. Tracy watched a moment longer, until her beloved horse was out of sight, before she nodded to Nancy and George that it was time to move on.

Tracy clenched her jaw as she walked. The men were headed toward the old mining town. She knew this whole area well. If they kept her horse in that town, she would find him. But first she had to find Nick and the Hardy brothers.


	4. Reunion

The next chapter is up. Sorry for the delay. My updates may not come as quickly as I had hoped, but they will come. So enjoy and I will update asap : )

4. Reunion

Nancy watched Tracy as they walked. She could tell that something was wrong. Was it the capture of that horse? And if so, why? Nancy wished she knew. Just as she wished she knew why Nick and the Hardys were missing.

Nancy sighed. Soon they would all be safe. She just wanted to see Frank again. Nancy glanced back at George. Her thoughts were following the same path as Nancy's. All either of them wanted was to get the boys out safely.

Finally the three girls reached the top of the hill overlooking the ghost town. Several old buildings dotted the landscape. Most of the buildings Nancy saw seemed ready to collapse. Nancy couldn't help but gasp at the possibility of Frank being trapped in one of them.

"There is the hotel." Tracy pointed to the middle of the small town. "And over there, behind the saloon across the street, is the storage building I mentioned." Tracy looked back at Nancy and George. They seemed to be at a loss for words. Tracy could understand how they were feeling. Deep down she feared for Joe Hardy.

"Where do we start?" Nancy was the first to break the silence. "They could be anywhere. And who knows where the kidnappers are."

"I would say that the best place to look would be the storage building. Then we could try the hotel." George suggested.

Nancy and Tracy agreed to the idea and began to slowly creep into the town. There was little cover around the buildings. The trio had to move low to the ground as they raced from shadow to shadow. Every minute seemed to drag for Nancy until the storage building came into view.

Tracy motioned for Nancy and George to wait in the shadows while she snuck over to the tiny stone building. Carefully and quietly, Tracy tried the door. To Tracy's dismay the door began to pull apart in her hands. Nobody could be locked inside. Escape would have been too easy.

Nancy watched as Tracy made her way back toward their hiding place. Her heart had sunk when she saw that the door was in such bad shape. If the guys had been inside they would have tried the door. It would have been ruined if they had gotten out of the building.

"Let's try the hotel. There are a ton of rooms inside. Any one would be good for holding someone prisoner." Tracy whispered as she joined Nancy and George.

Silently they crept across the street to the hotel. The building was old, but still amazingly strong. Nancy still didn't like the idea that they had to go inside. She had a bad feeling about the town. What if someone caught them inside? It wouldn't take much to cause the building to collapse. Nancy shook her head. Thoughts like that would not help Frank.

Inside the hotel Nancy looked at the old furnishings. They were relatively simple to modern standard. But the setup gave off a feeling of quiet elegance, even with the dust of disuse.

George moved past Nancy to get to the check-in counter. Nancy was about to follow when something caught her eye. Nancy made her way over to the object. A lapel pin had fallen to the floor. However, unlike everything in the room, it wasn't covered in dust.

"Look at this, guys. This is a recent item. There isn't any dust on it."

"Someone has been here recently." Tracy announced. "And from the tracks, I would say that there were several people. Look at the tracks that are near the counter. There are at least two pairs of hiking boots, and one pair of boots. And there seem to be at least two pairs of classier dress shoes, but I can't be sure."

"Then I think we found the guys' prison." George guessed. "Where was that secret room you found?"

Tracy moved behind the counter and opened a large door. Inside was empty. Tracy carefully felt along the floor. George watched in amazement as Tracy found the edge of a thin piece of wood and lifted. Underneath the wood was a trap door.

"Nan, come quick. We found the room." George whispered loudly.

Nancy joined Tracy and George behind the counter. George tugged on the trap door but it wouldn't budge. Nancy bit her lip as she continued to watch George pull on the locked door. How could they get the door open? As she thought about the door Nancy caught a faint smell. It seemed to be coming from the floor. Smoke!

Nancy moved up farther, an idea forming in her mind. Carefully Nancy tapped the door, hoping to get a similar tapping sound in response. Finally, after a moment of holding her breath, Nancy heard the response she had been hoping for. Frank was down there!

"Frank," Nancy whispered, "can you hear me?"

"Hey Nan." Frank answered back. "You have no idea how embarrassing it is to be kidnapped in an airport full of people. You think we can get this door open and try the whole airport thing again?"

"Gladly." Nancy almost cried with relief. "But the hinges must be on your side. If we could unhook the hinges, the door should be easier to force open."

"I think we found the hinges, but they have been replaced. They aren't the simple ones that were used when the building was first build. They're too fancy." Joe announced.

Nancy sat back on her heels and looked from George to Tracy. There was no way to simply unhook the hinges. And without a key the lock wasn't even worth considering. George was staring at the door as if she wanted to splinter it into a million pieces. Tracy had raised her head to the top of the counter.

"What is it Tracy?" Nancy questioned, peering over the counter as well.

"The saloon. Three men just came down the stairs inside. See the light?"

"That means we have to get the guys out now." Nancy whispered urgently. "Isn't there a hatchet or something we could use?"

"I have an old tomahawk here. It isn't much but it should get the job done. I keep every blade I own sharp."

Tracy moved over to a small drawer behind the counter. Silently she slid the drawer open and pulled out a small tomahawk. Quickly she carried the weapon back to the trap door and instructed Nick and the Hardy brothers to stand clear. Then she began to hack away at the wood until there was a hole in the middle of the door.

Laying the tomahawk aside, Tracy began to pull at the wood. The weakened planks gave way after a few moments of struggle. While the three prisoners climbed out of their prison, Tracy watched the saloon across the street.

"We have to leave now!" Tracy hissed before anyone could say anything.

Nancy peeked over the counter toward the saloon. The men Tracy had seen earlier were leaving the saloon and walking straight toward the hotel. Nancy recognized two of the men as the ones that had captured the horse earlier.

"Where can we go? If we try the front door we are sure to be caught." George frantically questioned. Nick moved next to George as she talked and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. George instantly calmed down. Nancy marveled at how Nick seemed to have George's absolute faith, even though they had known each other for such a short time.

Frank came up behind Nancy and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He had waited so long to see her and now they hardly had time to breath, much less talk. But Frank knew he had to get Nancy away from the hotel.

Nick and Frank exchanged looks and both nodded toward the stairs. The only chance of escape, for any of them, was to get upstairs and away from the kidnappers. Gently, Nick and Frank pushed the girls in front of them toward the stairs. Joe was the last to move, watching for the kidnappers. Slowly and silently the group made their way up the rickety old stairs. If they were lucky the kidnappers wouldn't see them and they could slip down the back stairwell outside.

Mitch couldn't concentrate. Tracy was right and it annoyed him greatly. She had said that something was going on when he questioned her about the fire. Mitch knew there was trouble right under his nose. But he wasn't close to the people. Maybe that's why he couldn't seem to catch any of the trouble makers he went after.

"Smart alec woman, thinks she knows everything." Mitch mumbled. "The diner burns to the ground and she can still give a lecture. Oh how I hate that woman. But I envy her skills. Why can't she be like every other girl around here?"

Suddenly the phone on Mitch's desk gave a shrill ring. Mitch grabbed the receiver roughly and growled a response. But the voice on the other end of the line stopped him from making another sound.

"Have you heard from Nancy Drew?" The voice questioned. The young woman sounded timid and nervous.

Mitch sank back in his seat. That name sounded familiar. If only he could place it. He wanted to reassure the person on the other end. Something about the way she had asked made him want to reach out to her. Nancy Drew, Mitch frantically thought.

"She was the one I talked to after the fire." Mitch murmured. As soon as he said the words he mentally kicked himself.

"I'm on my way out there." The voice announced.

Before Mitch could say anything else the line went dead. Mitch stared at the receiver in his hand as he thought about the voice. Annoyed with himself for creating a new problem, Mitch slammed the receiver down.


	5. Escape?

Thanks to all who have been reading this and patiently waiting for my updates. My next chapter is in the works already. Don't give up on this yet. Enjoy chapter 5!

5. Escape?

The second story of the hotel was dark and dusty. Nancy could hardly see the wall she was leaned against. The only thing she could hear was the voices of the men downstairs. They sounded as if they were arguing about something. Nancy tried to find comfort in the idea that if the men came upstairs, they could hide in the darkened rooms.

"I tell you, somebody knows about us! I saw that kid talkin' on the phone. He had to have told someone. That has to be why that no good cop has been snoopin' around here. I say we get rid of those boys, tonight!" one of the men bellowed.

"No. We need more time. The two know too much about our operation. If _your_ girlfriend hadn't screamed loud enough to draw attention, then there wouldn't have been an investigation! We have to make their deaths look like an accident. Now let's get some sleep. We have some work to do tomorrow."

Nancy froze when she heard the sound of heavy footfalls on the stairs. They had to hide quickly. Nancy grabbed Frank's hand and led him farther down the hall. Nick, George, Joe, and Tracy followed Nancy's lead.

"We have to split up. If they catch us all together there won't be any hope of escaping them. At least if we are apart, we know that someone will come looking for any of us that don't get out." Nick whispered.

"That's true, but what are our options of escape now? How many of these doors are locked?" Joe replied.

"Unless they changed the locks recently none of these doors lock now. All the original locks rusted a long time ago." Tracy spoke up.

"Then let's go. Everyone meet at the pickup." Nancy instructed. "And good luck."

The group broke up into partners, each team picking a different room to hide in. Frank and Nancy quickly made their way to the end of the hall and opened the last door. Inside Nancy rushed to the window while Frank blocked the door with a small end table.

Nick and George had headed toward a room close to the stairwell. The window faced the front of the building. The porch roof was directly below the window. Nick quickly forced the window open and helped George climb outside. He followed soon after.

Tracy and Joe had chosen a door opposite of the stairwell. There was an old set of stairs outside the room, leading behind the building. They had a clear escape. All they had to do was get to the stairway before the kidnappers got to them. Then they could reach safety.

Nancy opened the window, ready to climb out, when she noticed the missing boards in the roof. There was no way of escape through the window. Nancy gasped and turned back to Frank.

"The roof to the porch is gone. We can't get out."

"What? We have to get out. Those guys could come in here any minute. If they catch you here, I don't even want to guess what would happen."

"Then what are we going to do? It's too late to run for a different room. They would see us for sure."

Frank walked quickly to the window. He leaned out precariously and looked up. A slight edge of the roof hung over the window. Frank twisted his body at an odd angle in an attempt to reach the roof's edge.

"Frank, are you crazy? You could get yourself killed!"

Frank made no attempt to answer while he stretched as far out of the window as he dared. He had to make sure escape was possible. He had to get Nancy out of danger. The kidnappers wouldn't hesitate to kill her too, if they thought she was a threat.

Finally, after several tries for the edge of the roof, Frank found the hold he needed. Carefully he pulled himself the rest of the way out the window until he was hanging over the ground. Frank breathed deeply and began to swing himself from side to side.

Nancy waited anxiously while she watched Frank struggle to climb onto the roof. She hoped that the others were having an easier time finding an escape route then her and Frank. Nancy gripped the sill, still thinking about the others, as Frank managed to swing up to the roof.

Nick held George's hand tightly. The old porch roof was slightly unstable and weak with age. One wrong step and the whole roof could collapse under their feet. Carefully, Nick tested each plank as he led George across the roof. If they could just make it onto the roof of the building they could climb down the back stairwell and be free.

George held her breath with each step she took. She trusted Nick but the boards beneath her were a different matter entirely. She could only follow in Nick's exact footsteps and hope that Nancy and Tracy had found an easier escape.

The edge of the porch's roof was just in front of Nick and George. A few more steps then they would have to climb the side of the building. George took a deep breath and tried to calm her wild nerves. Nick looked back at George and smiled a small, grim smile.

"I guess we have to play Spiderman now."

"Let's just hope that we aren't seen as we climb. The publicity Spiderman gets, I can do without."

Nick raised George's hand to his lips. Then he turned and began to climb the wall, using the rough wood and holes as hand and foot holds. George quickly followed the path that Nick had taken, careful to avoid the weakened boards.

Tracy rushed over to the window and looked out. The stairway she remembered was still there. Although now it seemed extremely ancient. Tracy shook her head. The stress was getting to her. She had climbed these same stairs a thousand times or more. Still, when the only chance of survival is a set of stairs from a hundred years ago…

Joe grabbed Tracy by the shoulders, pulling her from her trance. Joe knew the thoughts that were going through her mind. In his own thoughts Joe saw the stairs collapsing, burying them in a broken pile of rubble. But they had to try, or face the kidnappers. And Joe would do anything to save Tracy the trouble of dealing with those men.

Joe forced the old window open and climbed through. The stairs seemed steady enough. Smiling in satisfaction, Joe reached his hand in to help Tracy. Joe knew that Tracy didn't really need his help but was still glad when she accepted the gesture.

Nancy was nervous about climbing through the window. If she fell she would have several fractures or breaks at the very least. Steeling herself for the task ahead, Nancy pushed all thoughts from her mind and leaned out. She almost had hold of the roof when the door opened behind her.

Tracy and Joe had reached the edge of the town when Nick and George caught up to them. Joe watched expectantly behind George. He was waiting for Frank and Nancy to jog up the slope toward them. After a few moments passed without a sign of either Frank or Nancy, Joe became worried.

"Has anyone seen Frank and Nan?" Joe finally asked. Everyone answered negatively.

Three hours and fifteen minutes had passed since Mitch had received that call. It irritated him that he had been so careless. Whoever had called had said that they were coming out, which meant trouble in his mind. He didn't need some nervous busybody getting in everybody's way.

Mitch was pacing in front of his cluttered desk when the door to his office opened. Mitch looked up at the officer standing in the doorway, ready to give him a lecture on the importance of privacy. Instead, the officer began talking almost immediately. He quickly explained that the young woman Mitch had spoken to earlier wanted to see him, and she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Mitch sighed and motioned for the officer to show the girl in. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he wasn't expecting what he saw. The woman was a few years younger than himself. She was average height with short curly hair.

"My name is Bess Marvin." The woman spoke calmly. "I know of at least three people in danger, possibly five. I want answers, and I'm not leaving until I get them."

Mitch groaned inwardly. _I hate my job_, he thought as he took a seat behind his desk. He motioned for Bess to choose a chair opposite him. This really was going to be a long, miserable night. Mitch sighed, _at least she's pretty_. Bess listened silently while Mitch began to explain the night's events.


	6. Sacrifices

Finally, chapter 6 is here. A little note to all Bess fans, I reworked her personality justa little.

6. Sacrifices

Nancy whirled around to stare at the figure in the doorway. What little moonlight filtered through the window made the man seem huge. Nancy searched for a face, but the figure was obscured by shadow.

"Frank, what do we do?" Nancy barely managed a whisper. She couldn't be sure that Frank had heard her.

"What are you doing here?" thundered a deep, menacing voice.

Frank peered over the edge of the roof. He knew that voice well. That voice belonged to the kidnapper known as Steve. He was the muscle man with a really short temper. Steve would break Nancy in half without thinking about it.

Nancy backed toward the window, seeking a way out. Her only options seemed to be to jump from the window or face the man. Nancy was trying to decide which would be a safer choice when a movement caught her eye. Frank was preparing to swing back through the window! He must have heard the man come through the door.

Nancy slowly inched her way along the wall, giving Frank a clear shot at their attacker. She just hoped that Frank's plan would buy them some time. She and Frank had to get away from the buildings, quickly. Nancy could tell that the man was watching her. At least she could distract him. Frank would have a better chance of landing a good attack if he surprised the other man.

Frank watched as Nancy moved from in front of the window. He knew she had seen him, and was giving him the chance he needed to make his attack. Everything had to be as perfect as possible. If she could just lure Steve a little closer. Frank calculated the distance with each step the man took, preparing himself for what was to come next.

"So," Nancy tried to keep the quiver from her voice, "this is where you live? I, um, I've been looking for artifacts, you know, to study. Have you found any? I'll take anything. I can pay for them too."

"I don't collect no arti, whatever you said. But I will make you pay for your snooping."

"You won't touch her!" Frank shouted as he swung through the window. The force of his kick sent the big man stumbling back. "You have to get rid of me first, Steve."

The man growled as he lunged for Frank, his arms ready to squeeze the younger man to death. But Frank saw it coming and dodged, landing a solid kick to the back of Steve's head. Frank grabbed Nancy's hand and ran for the door. Nancy glanced back to see Steve stumble to his feet and come after them.

"Frank!"

Frank glanced back and saw Steve follow them through the doorway. Ahead, two more men blocked the hallway. There wasn't enough time to find another exit. The only chance they had was to barrel through the bodies. Frank let go of Nancy's hand and jumped up, landing a kick to the chest of each man.

"Run Nancy!" Frank yelled as he cleared a path through the hall.

Nancy dashed forward. The hall was just ahead of her, if she could only make it. Pounding footsteps made Nancy jerk her head back. Frank was close behind her. Behind Frank was Steve, moving faster than Nancy would have thought possible.

"Frank, what do we do? He's right behind us."

Frank glanced behind him. The two he had attacked had joined Steve. With the three kidnappers following them, Frank knew that he and Nancy would never escape unless they took the toughest path.

"In here." Frank grabbed Nancy's hand and pulled her into one of the rooms.

Nancy looked around the room. A busted window was the only escape. Nancy rushed to the window and looked down. A narrow ledge ran the length of the wall, just below the window. Nancy assumed that it had been part of an old balcony, especially since a stairwell stood off to her left, several feet away.

Frank joined Nancy at the window. He could hear the men trying to force open the door that he had blocked closed. The barricade would not hold them out for long. Frank forced the window up and climbed out. The ledge was too narrow to walk on so Frank dropped to a hanging position.

Nancy waited while Frank moved down the ledge, pulling himself hand over hand. Once she had room, Nancy climbed out after him. The door burst open just as Nancy lowered herself into position.

"Frank hurry. They're in the room." Nancy cried out.

Frank moved steadily down the ledge, followed closely by Nancy. Their only hope was to get to the stairwell. Then they could use the old buildings as cover. They just had to reach the stairs before the kidnappers.

"Get to the stairs. Now!" came one of the men's yell.

Thundering footsteps sounded from inside the room. The men were running. They would beat Nancy and Frank there easily.

"Nancy, go back. Climb back into the room."

Nancy did as Frank directed. She knew what Frank was thinking. The men would expect them to continue to the steps. Nancy looked at the window to the room they had exited. Something just didn't seem right.

"Look in this window."

"Why? The kidnappers are going to get to the stairs, and then we'll be sitting ducks."

"Think about this," Nancy reasoned, "why would they yell out their plans so we could hear? What if it's a trap? But if we climb into a different room we have a better chance of getting away."

Frank didn't waste anymore words. He carefully peered into the window above his head. The room was dark and empty. Frank nodded to Nancy and hoisted himself inside. Once he was sure that the room was safe he turned and pulled Nancy inside.

The room was dark and eerily quiet. Frank and Nancy moved quickly across the wooden floor. Frank held his breath as he pushed open the door, fearing who he might find on the other side. When the door swung open Nancy nearly screamed at the figure on the other side.

"What are you doing here?" Frank demanded.

"I was worried about my dear brother. Now if you two are done playing with the big, bad men, I think it's time to leave."

"I think you're right." Nancy agreed.

Joe led the way to the staircase and began the climb down. The first story had been empty just moments before. He hoped that was still the case. Tracy had warned him that they would have a hard time moving around unseen.

Joe reached the last step and crouched down, studying the area. Nothing seemed out of place. He motioned for Frank and Nancy to follow quickly. The longer they spent inside the building, the riskier their escape became.

"Where are they?" a voice bellowed from up the stairs. "Check every room!"

The pounding footsteps made by the men upstairs as they dashed from room to room covered the sound of the detectives hurried steps. They wouldn't have much time before the kidnappers began searching downstairs. They had to make a run for it now.

The moon lit the street of the town with a dim glow. There were few shadows to use as cover. Joe pointed to the area where he had left the others waiting. The footpath was clear, making the trio a prime target. They would have to circle around.

"There they are."

Nancy glanced back as she ran. Even though they had tried to stick to the shadows, Steve had spotted them. Nancy knew they had a good head start, but if the kidnappers had a vehicle nearby the head start would make little difference.

Nancy looked ahead, trying to guess the distance to the hill ahead. Once they made it away from the town they would have a better chance of hiding. The desert would be full of nooks and crannies.

Nancy was concentrating so hard on getting away that she almost didn't hear the thunderous noise behind her. Startled, Nancy jerked to the side. But the searing pain in her arm told her she hadn't been fast enough. Instinctively, Nancy grabbed her arm. The blood was already beginning to seep out of the wound.

Tracy and George were standing just in the shadows when the gun went off. Nancy was just a few feet in front of them. George raced from the cover of the rocks and grabbed hold of Nancy, pulling her up to the shadows. The kidnappers couldn't get them now. The desert would be too vast to search.

"I'm sure you understand Miss Marvin that fires happen here all the time. In the desert there is little rainfall. With such dry conditions fires are common."

"Mr. Michelson, please spare me the geographical lecture. I may not be especially brave or smart, but I have learned one thing over the years. And that is that Nancy Drew and mysteries go hand in hand. I heard the message that brought Nancy and George out here. Something is most definitely happening, and if you can't do your job, I will just have to do it for you. I came for answers. Instead I get an overly macho cowboy with a stubborn streak."

"Miss Marvin, I can assure you that your friends were unharmed in that fire. Nor is there any reason to believe that they are in danger for any reason. Being unfamiliar with country living I can sympathize with your anxiety."

"Perhaps I have not made myself clear as to my reason for being here. Three friends are missing. That much was obvious from the tape I heard. I was supposed to receive a call from Nancy and George when they arrived at their hotel. That call never came." Bess reached into her purse and pulled out a small cassette tape. "Should you decide to listen to it, this is a copy of the tape that brought me here."

Mitch watched as Bess tossed the tape onto his desk and walked out of his office. What she had said made sense. Mitch hated to say it but he had to give the girl credit. She was gutsy. Even for a city girl.

"Wait." Mitch called out. "Let's see just what you have here."

Bess turned with a half smile. She usually wasn't the take charge type of person, but her friends needed her. She couldn't let them down. And Mitch was sort of cute, even if he was a little too hard headed.


	7. Deadly Puzzles

7. Deadly Puzzles

Bess sat in the stuffy office listening to the tape that had brought Nancy and George out to the middle of nowhere. She could hear Frank trying to warn Nancy. He was giving her the hints that should lead to his whereabouts. Bess had heard the tape so many times that she knew he would never finish the last sentence on the tape.

Mitch sat at his desk, staring at the tape player. He could hear the yelling in the background, the fear and love in this Frank's voice, and the worry. Something serious was happening, but the player wouldn't show him what. Bess was on to something; and for some odd reason Mitch felt like he had to help, wanted to help her.

For the second time in one night, Mitch's office door was flung open without so much as a knock. The young officer working in the receptions area rushed in and began babbling. "Mitch the call just came in. Don't know where. In the town. Someone was shot. They're bringing her in. She said to let you know."

"Slow down Miranda. Now who called and who was shot?"

"The call came from Tracy Whitehorse's phone. She said that one of the girls that was with her had been shot, in some abandoned town. She's rushing the girl to the hospital now. She said you needed to get over there now."

Bess stood up. "What girl? Did she give a name?"

"I couldn't catch it. The phone went dead. Some out of towner. She also said she found the missing persons that we've been tracking for the last day."

"That must have been the-" Mitch stopped himself. Looking at Bess he covered quickly, "I have to go."

"I'm coming with you. And don't tell me I can't." Bess grabbed her purse and raced out of the office ahead of Mitch. Somehow she knew that it was either Nancy or George who had been shot.

Mitch quickly led Bess to his squad car. The hospital wasn't far away. All he could do was meet Tracy there, and hope that the victim wasn't too seriously injured. Mitch glanced over at the passenger seat while he drove.

Bess sat quietly in the passenger seat. She stared straight ahead, as if she could make the hospital appear if she stared hard enough. Mitch could tell just from the look on her face that Bess was upset and worried, though she tried to hide it.

The hospital appeared up ahead and Mitch subconsciously sped up. He was sure that Tracy wouldn't be there yet, but he couldn't be sure. A deep feeling of dread filled the pit of his stomach as he made the right turn into the parking lot. The first parking spot available was next to a small grey pickup. Mitch had pulled into the spot before he recognized Tracy's truck. They had beaten him here.

"Let's go. They're already here. She must have called from just outside of town."

Bess obediently followed Mitch as he rushed inside the large building. The smells of antiseptics and filled Bess's nose, making her worry more. Personnel moved quickly around the service desk and in and out of various rooms. Bess looked around quietly while Mitch questioned a nurse about the shooting victim that had come in.

"Of course, Mitch, right this way. But, ah, I'm afraid your friend will have to stay here."

"Sorry Kelly. She comes with me."

Bess looked at the nurse as she led the way to Nancy's room. Nurse Kelly was older, with a stern look, and perfect posture. She reminded Bess of a school principal. Her graying blonde hair was pulled into a tight chignon. Everything about the nurse spoke superiority.

Bess ducked her head when Kelly glanced back to motion her and Mitch into Nancy's room. Bess got the distinct feeling that Kelly did not like her presence at the hospital at all, though she couldn't figure out why. Bess waited, impatiently, for Kelly to walk away and leave them alone with Nancy.

"Mitch, glad you could make it." an unfamiliar voice brought Bess's head up.

"How is she, Tracy?"

"Better, but something big is going on. I didn't recognize the group, but they are into some serious business."

Bess looked at the doorway where Kelly had been standing and sighed in relief. The older woman had finally left. Bess walked over to Nancy's bed and held her hand. Bess could see the patch of gauze through the bandaging on Nancy's left arm.

"Nancy, its Bess."

Nancy opened her eyes and smiled. She was still tired from the sedative the doctor had given her. Nancy squeezed Bess's hand.

"I never thought you would come rushing out to solve a mystery."

"Someone has to take care of you guys. Especially when you think you have to go out and find trouble. Or go and get yourself shot." Bess tried to keep the mood light.

"At least it wasn't bad. The doctor said I should be out of here tomorrow. Two days at the most. How'd you know where we were anyway?"

Bess laughed. "I stopped by your house. Nobody was there so I called the Hardy's. Since I found out that Frank and Joe were out solving a mystery, it wasn't too hard to assume you were doing the same. Mr. Hardy said you had been asking about Frank and Joe's location. So I called the airport. I just traced your path from there. Of course the tape from your answering machine was a big help."

"Well, I'm glad you're here. George will be too."

"Bess!" George cried from the doorway. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?"

"Hey guys. It's a long story. Anyway, how is everyone?"

Bess greeted George, Nick, and the Hardy brothers as they came through the door. Everyone gave little cries of joy at seeing each other again. Tracy was introduced to Bess, and after several minutes everyone settled down to enjoy the company of good friends.

George filled Bess in on their adventure, while Tracy and Mitch had a discussion in private. Frank and Joe were telling jokes and talking to Nancy about taking a long vacation. Nick sat quietly next to George, the only one not joining in the conversations.

George noticed Nick's silence and glanced at him. "What's wrong Nick? You're so quiet."

"Nothing, at least nothing much. I still can't figure out why those guys kidnapped us."

Nancy overheard the comment and spoke up. "I was wondering about that too. Did something in your case connect to any kind of organized crime group?"

"No, but even if it did, why grab Frank and Joe too? They didn't see me until we were at the airport. And they weren't a last minute thought. The kidnappers went straight to them."

"What about the case you guys were working on?" Bess asked Frank and Joe. "Would that have led to a criminal group?"

"Hardly. We were called because some young woman thought ghosts were robbing her." Joe snorted.

"It turned out to be some small time thief. But I wonder if she didn't have something more to do with the robberies herself. There were too many odd coincidences." Frank pointed out.

Nancy opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by screams coming from the hall. Bess jumped up and raced to the door, followed by Mitch and Tracy. Bess opened the door and looked out to see thick, black smoke billowing through the halls.

Bess spun around and made her way to Nancy's bedside. She was just about to get Nancy out of the bed when a nurse rushed into the room and took over. The nurse pulled the IV out of Nancy's arm and hustled her out of the room.

Nancy and her friends rushed down the halls and out the front doors. Sirens filled the air outside as the group moved away from the building. Fire trucks raced into the parking area while everyone watched. Finally, after several minutes, Mitch walked over to talk to the Fire Chief.

Nancy watched as the firemen opened doors and windows, allowing smoke to billow out in dark clouds. Puzzled, Nancy walked over to Mitch, who had just finished speaking with the Fire Chief.

"What's going on?"

Mitch looked back at Nancy with a grim frown. "Someone set off a bunch of smoke bombs. My guess is someone knew you and your friends were inside. And they wanted you out."

"But why just scare us? Nothing is making any sense. We could have been sitting ducks in there." Nancy wondered.

"There has to be something we're missing. I just wish I-"

Mitch was interrupted by a loud scream. Tracy, who had been standing on the curb, was being dragged into a dark colored Blazer. A gun pointed out the driver's window held everyone at bay.

Joe flexed his hands several times, trying to keep his anger in check. To see the two men drag Tracy into the backseat of the Blazer infuriated Joe. He had to force himself to stand still so as not to risk someone getting shot.

The back door slammed. The driver pulled his gun in and stomped on the accelerator. Joe and Frank raced to the road, followed by everyone else. Lying on the road, next to where the Blazer had been parked just moments before, was a crumpled piece of paper.

Joe grabbed the paper and spread it out. A simple message, written in block letters, was scrawled across the page. Joe read the message aloud to the gathered group, "Give us what we want or else. Leave the Rosewood land to us or the girl is dead."

Mitch gave a start when he heard the message. "What would they want with the Rosewood place? It's just dry farmland. They have to irrigate their garden now."

Nancy looked at the confused detective. She had wondered the same thing that Mitch had just voiced. Something had to be on that land. And it had to be important enough to kidnap Tracy.

"Hey," Bess spoke up, "if they want the Rosewood place, what's to stop them from kidnapping Mrs. Rosewood?"

Nick turned to Bess. "Your right. How long will it take to get to Mrs. Rosewood's place?"

"Long enough." Mitch answered as he led the way to his car.


	8. Family Secrets

A little short but the next chapter will be longer. Enjoy!

8. Family Secrets

The night was quiet after the excitement at the hospital. Nancy glanced at her watch. Eleven o'clock. Time seemed to drag for Nancy.

"Nothing seems to make sense. Nan, do you have any ideas on this?" Frank asked.

"I wish I did. There must be something that set you and Joe apart; otherwise you wouldn't have been kidnapped."

"All I can say," Joe spoke up from the other side of Frank, "is it's a good thing Tracy keeps a spare key in here."

"It wouldn't have done us any good if Mitch hadn't known it was in here." Frank replied. "I wonder just how he fits into all of this. He seems to handle every case that involves Tracy."

"I noticed that too. He was at the fire at the diner. He was at the hospital. And he knew about the cases that Tracy was working on. But he never seems to accomplish much." Nancy murmured.

"Look, that must be the place up ahead." Joe announced, pointing to a house just ahead.

Nancy turned the pickup into the driveway behind Mitch's squad car. The dust from the driveway settled quickly as Nancy and the Hardys climbed out of the truck. Nick, George, Bess, and Mitch climbed out of the car.

Nancy looked around at the land. The yard was mostly dirt, except for a few beautifully tended flower gardens. The house was a modest adobe building with a small porch. Nancy followed Mitch and the others up to the front of the house. A light shone through the window from one of the back rooms.

Mitch knocked several times at the door. After receiving no reply he tried the knob. The door swung open easily. Inside the room was disastrous. Furniture had been overturned and broken glass covered the floor.

"Mrs. Rosewood? Mrs. Rosewood are you in here?" Frank called.

"It looks like the kidnappers beat us to Mrs. Rosewood." Nick replied grimly. "Maybe there's a clue to where they took her."

"Poor Mrs. Rosewood." Bess murmured. "At least Tracy wasn't here to see this."

"Tracy! Tracy are you alright baby?"

"Grannyma, they got you too? What do they want?" Tracy reached forward, trying to fight the wave of panic threatening to overcome her.

"I don't know, but I plan to go down fightin'. They messed with the wrong old granny."

"We will get out of here. I promise." Tracy replied with more conviction than she felt. "Nobody locks us up and gets away with it."

Mrs. Rosewood sighed. "Tracy baby, there's something I need to tell you. I know why we're here."

"What are you talking about Grannyma? How could you know what's going on?"

"It's been going on for years. It's only ever gotten this out of hand once, with your parents."

Nancy, Frank, Bess, and Mitch searched the interior of the house while Nick, George, and Joe searched around the exterior of the house. The interior was a complete mess. The outside seemed too neat and manicured.

"Arrrgg this is hopeless!" George groaned. "There is nothing out here."

"That's what bothers me. It looks like the kidnappers just walked up and took Mrs. Rosewood." Nick whispered.

"What, like she knew the kidnappers? That is almost too crazy." Joe countered.

"No, wait Joe. Nick may just be on to something. Let's go talk to the others."

Nancy was studying the room when George tapped her on the shoulder. Nancy spun around hopefully. There had been no clue inside the building, but maybe there had been something useful outside. George motioned Nancy toward the door. Once Nancy was away from the others George began to explain their theory.

"That is a stretch." Nancy murmured. "But everything seems to point to that idea."

"I don't understand."

"I didn't back then. It was only after your parents died that I realized what was really happening. The Rosewood land is very valuable. Your parents were killed for it. Even then someone wanted all of us gone. There is a small fortune of gold and silver jewelry hidden somewhere on the land. The whole family knew about the treasure, as did several of the neighbors."

"But I hadn't heard about it."

"Oh but you have. Remember the story of the brave and the maiden?"

"Of course. The brave wins the heart of the maiden with jewels given him from a mighty spirit."

"That was our way of passing down the information. That story was made up by my grandparents. Everyone thought it was just a story, but we knew the truth."

"So to find the jewels we have to know the story?"

"Right. Those jewels have been hidden in the same spot for over one hundred years. But the jewels are special; they are worth about ten million dollars."

Tracy shrugged. "That isn't too special."

Mrs. Rosewood smiled. "It isn't the worth that makes them so wonderful. The jewels once belonged to a great chief. They were a gift for his bride."

"So you're saying that we have been kidnapped so that someone can find the jewels? But who knows about them?"

"There is only one person it could be."


	9. Final Showdown

The last chapter is up!

9. Final Showdown

"I just wonder if Mitch knows more than he's saying." Nancy murmured to Nick, George, and Joe. "I think it's time for some answers."

George shot Nancy a troubled look. "What about Bess? She seems to like Mitch."

"Why doesn't one of us take her outside? Make up some kind of excuse to get her out of the house." Joe suggested. "I can do that."

Once Joe had led Bess a safe distance away from the house Nancy went back inside. Mitch wasn't in the living room where she had last seen him. Nancy scanned the room and found a clean trail to the kitchen in the back of the house. Carefully she made her way toward the kitchen with George and Nick following.

"Nan, over here."

Nancy looked around and saw a figure crouched in the semi-darkness. She motioned to the others to follow then made her way over to the figure. Frank had been watching the kitchen from a short distance away.

"I think our friend is up to something. Once you left I hid to see what he would do. He figured we had all went outside and made a beeline for the kitchen. He knows something." Frank whispered.

"That's what we think too." Nancy whispered back.

"So what are we waiting for?" George spoke up. "Let's find out what's going on."

The four carefully made their way into the kitchen. A lamp on the counter cast a soft glow on the room. Nancy reached over and flipped the switch next to the doorway, throwing the room into complete light.

"Wow, why'd you have to do that?" Mitch looked around, startled.

"Why were you in here in the dark?" Nancy countered.

"We want answers and we aren't leaving until we get them." Frank announced.

"Fine, you want to know what I know? I'll tell you everything, but it won't do much good. Tracy informed me that something strange was going on in that old ghost town, which is no surprise to you. About that time Mrs. Rosewood called me and said that she was getting anonymous threats. She didn't want to worry Tracy, so she came to me. I promised to look into it and keep an eye on Tracy myself. Then Nick and the Hardys show up on a case just out of my jurisdiction."

"Yeah, a young woman who kept having jewelry come up missing. She kept saying ghosts were robbing her." Frank explained.

"I was here for a large museum. They were systematically being robbed of any old records about this area. It turned out to be some small time thief." Nick added.

"Wait, didn't your case involve a small time thief too?" Nancy asked Frank.

"Yeah, why?"

"I may have an idea. What else did you find out Mitch?"

"Shortly after both cases were solved I learned that all three of you had gone missing. Tracy and Mrs. Rosewood insisted that something was very strange about the disappearances. I didn't take their views too seriously. Then the diner caught fire. And you know the rest." Mitch paused. "There is one odd thing Tracy mentioned at the hospital. A horse, known to her as Wild One, was stolen."

"I remember that. We saw it happen." George stated.

"That horse has a real value to the family. It showed up shortly after Tracy's parents died. It was a young foal then. She named it after a horse in some story she always listened to as a child."

"What was the story about?" Nancy asked quickly.

"The best I can remember it is a young brave was in love with a maiden. He wasn't thought of as good enough so he left the village. Somehow he received some jewels after he left and returned to win the maiden's heart."

"Jewels, records, and a horse." Nancy murmured. "Was the story ever written down?"

"No, it's one that Mrs. Rosewood's grandparents made up."

"You think those three things are connected? How?" Nick questioned.

"I'm not sure yet, but we have to get to that ghost town."

"Who could it be Grannyma? It doesn't make any sense."

"There is only one other person other than me that knew the meaning of the story. He was told about it when his parents…shh, listen."

Tracy stiffened as she focused on the voices that had just become audible outside. Someone was entering the room outside their door. The voices sounded as if they were barely above a whisper. After a few moments Tracy's eyes widened.

"Walter!"

Nancy and the others made their way to the top of the hill overlooking the ghost town. Everything seemed quiet. Nancy couldn't help but worry at stillness.

"We need a plan." Bess reasoned. "We can't just barrel in there."

"She's right. We need a distraction." Mitch agreed.

Frank surveyed the town, thinking, when something caught his eye. Studying the object harder he gasped. A young, white horse was tied to a post behind one of the buildings.

"Look, I think I found Wild One."

The others turned to look where Frank was pointing. The horse was struggling against the rope that held him. He acted like a wild mustang.

"I wish I had paid more attention to Tracy's stories. There was one about Coyote the trickster. He used a horse to make his escape."

Joe spun around and stared at Mitch. "What did you just say?"

Mitch started in surprise. "One of the stories that Tracy knows. It is about Coyote the trickster."

Joe turned toward Frank. "Our last case. Didn't that girl say something about being tricked by a coyote?"

"Yeah, when we overheard her on the phone. She told someone that he was no better than Coyote. He had tricked her and she never should have trusted him. That part always did bother me."

"Did she say anything else? A name or something?" Mitch questioned.

"No but she did tell him not to become the coyote again. Why?" Joe replied.

"We had a big time crime here once. In fact, it was when Tracy's parents were killed. We found a rock with a picture on it at the scene. The picture was of Coyote. That became the name of the guy who dropped the rock. His information is on file at the station."

"Well I'm not Coyote, but I think I have a plan." George spoke up.

Tracy leaned back against the wall. She didn't want to believe her ears. Walter had been her constant companion for years. How could he turn on her, his own family?

"Greed can do funny things to a person." Mrs. Rosewood said. "I suspected it was Walter months ago. I wanted to be wrong, but somehow I knew I wasn't."

Tracy closed her eyes, trying to take everything in, when she heard yelling from the other side of the door. The sound of running feet quickly followed the shouts. Something was happening. Tracy could only hope that Mitch and the others had found her.

Nancy watched as Nick and George rode off on Wild One. The horse hadn't been as wild as he had seemed while tied up. Still Nancy was glad that Nick and George were both excellent riders.

Frank stood behind Nancy. They were supposed to cause as much confusion as possible for the kidnappers. Anything to keep the kidnappers busy. Frank grabbed Nancy's hand and gave it a squeeze. Three dark figures rushed from the shadows of the buildings. Shouts filled the air.

"We're on." Frank muttered. He gave a wave to Mitch, Bess, and Joe before he led Nancy away.

Mitch nodded. "Time to go."

Mitch led the others down to the town. Staying in the shadows they made their way to the building that the kidnappers had left. Everything was quiet inside. Mitch crept inside and looked around.

"Where would they keep Tracy and Mrs. Rosewood?" Bess wondered.

"I'm not sure. We were kept across the road, at the hotel."

"This is the saloon." Mitch replied. "I have found a couple of good hiding places in here."

Mitch led the way across the empty room. A long bar ran the length of the back wall. Behind that a door led to a back room. Mitch opened a small gateway in the bar and walked through.

"Wow this place is full of old junk." Joe whistled as he surveyed the broken glasses and decorations that had once lined shelves behind the bar.

"Let's just hope there are two new people in here with this old junk." Bess replied. "Come on."

In the back room Mitch was standing near a strong looking door. He had a look of disgust on his face. "I checked all the rooms in here. They aren't here."

Joe looked around. The room was mostly bare, except for a low table in a corner. Joe walked over to the table, expecting to find something on it. Instead it was bare. Joe stood next to the table, thinking, when he heard a pounding noise under the table.

"Guys, there has to be a door under the table. Someone's pounding down here."

Bess and Mitch hurried over and looked under the table. One of the boards was loose. Mitch pushed down on one end. As the other end rose it opened a small square door.

"Tracy, are you down there?" Joe called.

"Joe!" Tracy called back. "We have to get out of here. Walter could come back any minute."

"Wrong Tracy. I'm already back."

Mitch, Bess, and Joe spun around. A man resembling Tracy stood in the doorway. He had hold of Nancy. A big man to his right held Frank while Steve held Nick and George on the other side.

Walter pointed a gun at Nancy. "Get in the door or she dies."

"Walter, you don't want to do this. Just let them go."

"You don't know what I want. I have waited three years for this. Now Tracy will lead me to the treasure."

"How did you get Wild One back?" Bess questioned.

"I knew where he was headed. I simply got there first. No more talking. Down in the room, now!"

Joe pushed Bess toward the door. "You'll be safer in there."

Frank tensed slightly and glanced at Nick. Joe nodded to Frank and Nancy. It was now or never. Nancy ducked as Joe lunged toward Walter. Frank stepped down hard on his captor's foot while Nick and George elbowed Steve in the stomach. Mitch pulled Mrs. Rosewood out of the room while the kidnappers tried to fight off their hostages. Tracy and Bess followed Mrs. Rosewood out the door.

"No! Stop them!" Walter screamed when he saw Tracy and the others escaping.

"No, you stop it Walter William Whitehorse. I am still your grandmother." Mrs. Rosewood snapped. "And that is still my land."

While the Hardys held Steve and Nick and Mitch held the other man, Tracy called for backup. Mrs. Rosewood walked over and grabbed Walter by the ear pulling him over to the table.

"I can't believe it was Walter. But I will never forget the tongue lashing Grannyma gave him." Tracy laughed. "His hired friends didn't know what to think. And since we found the jewels we don't have to worry about anyone else trying to dig up our land again."

"I'm still a little confused." Bess admitted. "How did everything fit together?"

"Walter knew about the treasure from a story we were told as kids. He got into some trouble and decided to go after the treasure himself. He hired two people he knew to help him. You all met Steve; the other was the same criminal we were after for another crime." Tracy explained.

"Coyote." Nancy guessed.

"Right. They tried to scare us off first. When that didn't work Walter resorted to kidnapping. It was only after he kidnapped me that he realized he needed me to find the treasure."

"And the museum robberies were of maps that would indicate any type of hiding spots where treasure could be hidden." Nick added.

"What about the woman that was robbed?" George wondered.

"That was Coyote's girlfriend. She was supposed to just play the role of a robbery victim to throw suspicion. Only she messed things up instead. So Walter sent a small time thief to rob her for real, just like with the museum." Joe replied.

"I'm just glad the whole thing's over. I can go back to protecting cows." Mitch agreed. "So what does everyone plan to do now, since all the excitement's done?"

"I am going back home." George announced.

"Me too." Nick agreed.

"I'm taking a trip." Tracy announced, glancing at Joe. Joe smiled back happily.

"We're going back to River Heights with Nan." Frank replied.

"Why not join us Mitch?" Tracy asked. "Come see how the other side lives. But you have to be in a city."

Mitch smiled at Bess. "I think I could use a nice long vacation. A city isn't so bad, as long as they don't have huge malls."

"I can show you all the sights." Bess offered. "But what's wrong with malls?"

"Let's just say that the metal detectors don't like me. So when do we leave?"

"As soon as everyone is packed." Nancy answered.

"Well let's go!" George exclaimed.


End file.
